The harem was smoky and miasma, Emperor Yuanqing didn't want to endure it anymore, so he directly executed those concubines who were put to death, and none of them were left behind.

Among the four existing children, except for the lame eldest prince, who survived by luck at that time, the remaining second prince, the third prince, and Princess Yi'an were all born of the young concubines who entered the palace later, which led to a relatively large age difference between the children, the eldest prince was eighteen, the second prince was only twelve, and the crown prince of Queen Cao was only ten years old.

The East Palace is the closest, and the prince arrives first.

It is said that the nephew is like an uncle, and Emperor Yuanqing can see a little bit of Cao Shao's shadow on the prince's immature face, which is very handsome.

When the second prince came, Emperor Yuanqing also looked at it a few times.

The second prince's biological mother, Concubine Shu, is also from the Cao family and is Cao Xun's other half-sister. Concubine Shu entered the palace two years earlier than Queen Cao, she was beautiful and gentle, but unfortunately she had a thin face and failed to survive the ghost gate of giving birth to a child. In order to show his favor to the Cao family, Emperor Yuanqing took another daughter of the Cao family into the palace, because she was the daughter of Xu Xian, and directly crowned the queen.

Emperor Yuanqing thinks that the second prince is more like him, maybe a little like his uncle Cao Xun?

It's just that Cao Xun hasn't returned to Beijing for more than ten years, and Emperor Yuanqing doesn't remember his appearance very clearly.

Everyone was gathered, Emperor Yuanqing beckoned the children to let go of eating, and took the opportunity to ask the children what they were doing recently.

The eldest prince has low self-esteem because of his leg disease and doesn't talk much.

The second prince is also silent and introverted.

The crown prince's status is the most valuable, and at the same time he enjoys the favor of the emperor, and he still dares to say in the face of his kind father: "Father, the son wants to change his companion." ”

The love in Emperor Yuanqing's eyes did not change at all, and after eating the food in his mouth, he asked, "Which one to change?" ”

The prince said in a disgusted tone: "If you change Li Xian, his father is so useless, and I will lose face if I keep him by my side." ”

Emperor Yuanqing nodded: "I know, I will consider it." ”

The next morning, Emperor Yuanqing announced the punishment of Li Yong, who had previously held the important position of commander-in-chief of the Praetorian Guard, and now he was dismissed, which is enough to prove that he has lost his sacred heart.

After the dispersal of the dynasty, Emperor Yuanqing called the crown prince and his companion Li Xian to the Qianqing Palace.

The Li family is all tall, and the thirteen-year-old Li Xian is already taller than some adult female dependents, wearing a cyan brocade robe, with a dignified face and a tall posture.

The crown prince stood beside his father, raised his chin slightly, and looked at Li Xian arrogantly.

Emperor Yuanqing's eyes turned around the two children and asked Li Xian, "Do you know why I asked you to come over?" ”

Li Xiangong said: "I don't know. ”

Emperor Yuanqing touched the prince's head and said bluntly: "The prince thinks that you can't be qualified for the position of companion, do you have any arguments?" ”

Li Xian maintained the posture of bowing his head to answer, his drooping eyelashes were slightly raised, and then they drooped again, and his handsome face was as calm as ever: "It's the minister's dereliction of duty, the minister has nothing to say, and he is all up to the emperor's arrangement." ”

Emperor Yuanqing bowed: "Okay, you can leave the palace, Ning Guogong should be waiting for you outside the palace gate." ”

Li Xian knelt down, kowtowed to the crown prince, and Emperor Yuanqing kowtowed three times, and then left.

The more the prince thought about it, the more displeased he became, and Emperor Chaoyuan Qing complained: "He has a straight face all day long, and he doesn't see how happy he is when he rewards him, and his sons have long seen him unpleasant." ”

Emperor Yuanqing smiled: "He's gone, what kind of new companion do you want to find?" ”

Outside the palace gates.

Li Yong has already gone to the official hat, only tied his hair with a cloth towel on his head, his hands behind his back, standing by the carriage with his back straight, and the courtiers coming in and out, he smiled slightly, so that he was free and indifferent to the people of the world.

It wasn't until he saw his youngest son who was sent out by the two little tainies that Li Yong's eyes revealed a trace of worry.

Knowing that his son was young and old, he could endure more than him, as soon as he got into the carriage, Li Yong returned to his worldly fatherly posture, and patted his son on the shoulder with pity: "Uncomfortable, right?" If you want to cry, you can cry, and it's good to cry out. ”

Li Xian: "......"

He glanced at his father, who had red circles under his eyes for some reason, and frowned: "My son is not uncomfortable, and he doesn't want to cry." ”

Li Yong was surprised: "The prince is so ruthless, you are not wronged?" ”

Li Xian: "What do you have to do with the crown prince, the emperor wants me to be a companion in the East Palace, so I will do my best, the emperor doesn't need me, I just go home to do my filial piety in front of you and my mother." ”

Li Yong wanted to remind his son that if he was not liked by the prince, it would mean that he would not be valued by the next emperor, but he felt that it was okay not to say it, if he did, his son might really cry.

Anyway, it's still small, so I'll talk about it later.

The father and son just returned to the Ningguo Mansion, and the reunited family hadn't talked much, so Cao Shao came to visit.

Li Yong and the four of them all looked at Yunzhu.

Yunzhu was bored: "I must be talking about those cars again, Daddy will see him, I'll go back to the room and stay." ”

As soon as she left, the brothers Li Yao and Li Xian also left.

Meng sighed: "Adversity sees people's hearts, among the guests who came to visit the door for a while, Brother Shao is the only one who really hopes for the good of our family." ”

Li Yong has always been very satisfied with Cao Shao, and there is nothing to fault when he hears this.

It's just that he doesn't have much to talk about with a junior, after Cao Shao said goodbye, Li Yong remembered something serious and asked his wife: "When I am not there, can Mrs. Dingguo Mansion arrange a matchmaker to come over?" ”

The woman is fifteen years old and the family loves her daughter, and there are no special circumstances, and the marriage will basically be finalized before the daughter is eighteen years old, and after eighteen, it will be too late.

Meng sneered: "I don't think she will arrange it in her life." ”

It's true that she likes Cao Shao, but she's not so stupid that she can't see Pan's thoughts.

"Wait, see if I have wronged her."

.

The capital is prosperous, and no matter how lively it is, it will fade after a while.

Although Li Yong suffered a defeat, after he left, the army led by Cao Xun came one after another good news, Shuozhou and Ganzhou have been recaptured, just wait for the capture of Suzhou and Jiayuguan, the Hu people will be expelled from the territory of the Great Xia Dynasty again.

Victory was in sight, and the people became tolerant of Li Yong's defeat, after all, Li Yong's defeat did not seriously affect the overall situation.

In the blink of an eye, in December, the people were busy preparing for the New Year, and no one on the street would recite the joke of Li Yong's three defeats.

It was Cao Shao who was hard.

The wish was delayed, and Uncle Xiaoguo, who had lost a lot of weight, begged Pan again: "Mother, the New Year is approaching, should we ask the matchmaker to pass?" If we delay any longer, I'm afraid that my uncle and aunt will suspect that we will see the wind and rudder and have the heart to regret our marriage. ”

Pan: "You are only worried about the Li family, why don't you want to think about it, the emperor has just taken the official position of Ning Guogong, let's go to propose marriage immediately, wouldn't we be working against the emperor?" ”

Cao Shao: "The emperor already knew that I was interested in Yunzhu, and now that we are all old, it is natural to get married. ”

Pan: "The sacred heart is unpredictable, you can't just think about the Li family, but also think about your sister and the prince." ”

Cao Shao's heart sank, and he looked at his mother in disbelief: "You don't really want to regret your marriage, do you?" ”

Since the words have been broken by his son, the Pan family will not pretend, and said earnestly: "Brother Shao, this is not what it used to be, the Li family has lost power, Yunzhu is no longer worthy of you, you just forget her, and my mother will ...... for you again."

"I don't want it!" Cao Shao left the table suddenly, looking at Pan's eyes mixed with undisguised anger and disappointment: "We have been friends with the Li family for decades, how can you learn from those villains outside?" If my father were alive, he would never approve of you doing this! ”

Pan Shi had expected his son to be angry, but he was not surprised, and said calmly: "I am your mother, will I still harm you?" Marrying a wife and marrying a virtuous wife, a really good wife will teach her husband and children, and become your help, Yunzhu, she has patronized herself for so many years, treating you as a monkey, and you don't dare to go west if you go east, do you know how many people laugh at you behind your back? ”

Cao Shao: "That's my affair with Yunzhu, I'm willing to let them take care of it!" ”

Pan pursed his lips and glared at his son: "People are too lazy to care about you, they will only treat you as a joke, only I, my mother-in-law, will think about you everywhere!" ”

Cao Shao didn't appreciate it at all, paced back and forth a few steps, he tried to suppress his anger, and tried his best to coax his mother and said: "Mother, you are really good for me, go to the Li family to propose marriage, as long as you fulfill your son's case, your son will listen to you in the future." ”

Pan sneered: "Before she passed the door, you turned against me for her, if you really marry her, you will only have more of me as a mother in your heart." ”

Cao Shao only felt that a fire was rising in his chest, and lowering his body didn't work, he turned around directly and said, "That's it, I don't ask you, I'll ask the matchmaker myself!" ”

Pan sneered and kindly reminded his son: "There has always been only the order of your parents, I won't come forward, you go by yourself, Yu Li is a great shame, Li Yao alone can break your legs." ”

Cao Shaodu was about to cross the threshold, and he paused when he heard this.

The hard ones can't do it, but the soft ones.

Cao Shao knelt down to Pan's side, and his anger turned into a pleading: "Mother, my son begs you, I just want to marry Yunzhu, my son has agreed, don't let your son be a dishonest person." ”

Pan sighed, leaned over and touched his son's head: "Silly child, childish words, how can you take what you said when you were a child?" A good girl who really cherishes her reputation shouldn't have mentioned this to you. ”

It was obviously a loving mother's move, but Cao Shao felt for the first time that his biological mother's face was so hateful.

He is the little uncle that everyone envies, but he can't be the master of the Dingguo Mansion.

.

The Pan family did not fall into the trap of the Li family, and never said a bad word about the Li family when she interacted with other noble ladies, she just didn't walk around with the Li family throughout the winter and March.

It wasn't until the end of the year that the Dingguo Mansion was going to hold a banquet to entertain relatives and friends, and the Pan family sent a steward over and lukewarmly sent an invitation to the Ningguo Mansion.

Meng Shi took it lukewarmly, this kind of thing, whoever tears his face first and says ugly things will lose.

She just didn't go to Cao's house for a banquet with her family like in previous years.

Break it, break it, when who is rare?

Her baby daughter won't be worried about getting married!

Chapter 5 Don't feel guilty, the marriage didn't work out, sorry for you

The Great Xia Dynasty was able to have the opportunity to recover the lost Kyushu, in addition to Gu Shoufu's reform to enhance the national strength, but also thanks to the three generations of the Cao family's national dukes, who were able to conquer and fight well.

Cao Xun is the third generation of Dingguo Gong.

At the time when the people of the capital have closed their shops and enjoyed the comfort of the end of the year, on the eve of the banquet held by the Dingguo Mansion to entertain relatives and friends, the border pass once again came with good news, Cao Xun led the troops to capture Suzhou and Jiayuguan in one fell swoop, at the same time, the Hu people lost serious troops due to a rare snowstorm in the territory, and they were worried that the Cao army would continue to go deeper, so they took the initiative to send envoys to the Great Xia Dynasty to ask for peace, and they were willing to offer gold and silver and good horses to the court every year.

The successive wars also consumed the treasury of the imperial court, and after consulting with the cabinet, Emperor Yuanqing decided to accept the Hu people's request for peace.

In any case, Cao Xun's military exploits made the scenery of the Dingguo Mansion in the capital even better.

All the relatives and friends who received the invitation of the Cao family, all brought heavy gifts to the banquet, in front of the Dingguo Mansion, the carriages one after another, lined up into a long line, attracting many people to bring their own melon seeds to come here to watch the excitement.

The scenery of the main house, the maids and maids of the Dingguo Mansion are all honored, all of them are beaming, and their steps are briskly busy.

Mrs. Pan dressed up and entertained the female relatives inside, although Cao Shao was frustrated because of his marriage, and now that he was the only male master in the Cao family, he could only pretend that nothing had happened and took on the responsibility of entertaining the male guests.

Born to be the second son of the Dingguo Mansion, and later became a small uncle with the queen's mother, Cao Shao is gentle and graceful, not only can talk with young sons of the same age, but also can be comfortable among the older generation of uncles, the male guests want to praise him when they see him, and the female relatives like it even more, especially the ladies who have not yet married, will take advantage of the short opportunity to sneak a glimpse of the door.

Cao Shao never noticed that when he didn't need to socialize, his eyes would always turn to the corner of the alley.

He was waiting for the carriage of the Ningguo Mansion.

It's a pity that until the last guest came to the door, the carriage of the Ningguo Mansion did not appear.

Today is a very rare good weather in the wax moon, no wind, no sand and the sun is shining, but Cao Shao's heart is like falling into an ice cave.

Back house.

The familiar ladies and ladies exchanged glances secretly.